A lot of us are concerned about finding the happy medium between sharing deals with others in the community and ensuring that they don't get pulled too quickly.

I think we all know that most of the good deals on FT have now gone "underground" to off-site discussions of one sort or another. In the spirit of MiPo, we might want to try to keep these discussions as part of the community.

What if we created the ability to have an expanding chat function where for a given deal a member can share with other close friends who can then invite others into the chat thread and they can then share with yet others. The discussion would continue within this shared thread which would be accessible and viewable only to people invited in on that deal.

This could have two benefits:

It would allow us to share deals here on MiPo "in community" rather than taking them offline and accomplish the goal of sharing the knowledge.

If each person was only inviting other who they knew personally, and the very existence of the deal chat for that deal was not shown for non-invited folks, it would reduce the likelihood that airline folks would quickly stumble onto it.

I don't get how this is much different to the various email lists floating around.

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It's different if you're not already on one of the mailing lists.

But the conversation feature here seems to be a little nicer than a huge string of e-mails. The post-style format is more friendly for a many-to-many conversation. It really is like your own private mini-forum. I think it's limited to 10 participants, though.

But the conversation feature here seems to be a little nicer than a huge string of e-mails. The post-style format is more friendly for a many-to-many conversation. It really is like your own private mini-forum. I think it's limited to 10 participants, though.

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The same applies to MP conversation. If you aren't invited then you miss out.

The same applies to MP conversation. If you aren't invited then you miss out.

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This is true, but I think that within the community of MiPo there would be more social pressure (or even formal incentives) to "share the wealth". E-mail lists tend to be closed-ended where an evolving chat would be open-ended.

If each new deal had it's own chat, it would help protect us from killing the deal too quickly as it would slowly spread to more and more people while those invited earlier could already have booked.

This is true, but I think that within the community of MiPo there would be more social pressure (or even formal incentives) to "share the wealth". E-mail lists tend to be closed-ended where an evolving chat would be open-ended.

If each new deal had it's own chat, it would help protect us from killing the deal too quickly as it would slowly spread to more and more people while those invited earlier could already have booked.

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I see that as worse than an email? At least with an email everyone on the list gets the info at the same time. If people are being joined to a conversation over time the fare may be pulled by the time some people get added.

I think it would be great if we can come up with a solution to this problem that lets active site members get in on the good deals. If I managed to get in on one of the e-mail lists from FT, I probably wouldn't be as interested. I think there are many members/contributors who would benefit and be able to keep the deal going. I think its more the lurkers or cross posters to other forums like slick deals that end up killing the deal.

I see that as worse than an email? At least with an email everyone on the list gets the info at the same time. If people are being joined to a conversation over time the fare may be pulled by the time some people get added.

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i really don't know what is the best way to handle such things. i thought the post up there was a good suggestion and would encourage the posters on this site to get to know one another. if we all increase our circle of friends and introduce circles to each other then we all in the end get to know more posters than if we just keep to the 5 people we have met in RL. i have posted at another site for almost 2 yrs. i have met quite a few people at DOs but have yet to be added to any insider info list or whatever. not whining, just stating a fact. i think this conversation method would encourage group participation.

Maybe I am underestimating the power of this list (which will increase exponentially as it grows), but it seems to me that many of these deals are available only for a limited time...not all MP members will be online to become aware of them, and not everyone who is aware of the deals will be in a position to take advantage of them. So, maybe I am being naive, but the combination of these factors may reduce the activity on most deals to the point that over-exposure will not be problematic...but I could be wrong!

I think it would be great if we can come up with a solution to this problem that lets active site members get in on the good deals. If I managed to get in on one of the e-mail lists from FT, I probably wouldn't be as interested. I think there are many members/contributors who would benefit and be able to keep the deal going. I think its more the lurkers or cross posters to other forums like slick deals that end up killing the deal.

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Agree completely that cross posting in SD etc is what gets too much attention. Would love to find a way to keep a new "deal" quiet yet spread the word within the community.

The problem I see with the "other forum" is that there are too many new people that are just looking for the deals and not contributing. They have no problem with cross posting to SD or other forums.

I think it's worth trying the approach suggested by Misplaced Texan. Whether or not it ends up achieving a better balance between maximizing the people in the community benefiting from a deal and keeping the deal alive remains to be seen, but it sounds promising to me. And trying new approaches seems to be very much in the spirit of MP.

Maybe make a special forum with similar qualifications to CC on FT? Member for 90 days and x posts or status points to see the semi-private forum? That would keep the deals from going viral and any member could earn the right to join it.

One of the differences here is that you must log on to see the forums.
Then there are private forums that require you to reach a status level to access that forum. Such as the "silver status" forum.
Those things alone will decrease the "surfing" for deals only without even needing to log on.

I agree that new approaches must be tried and the "Misplaced Texan" has offered an system that should be examined. It is doubly frustrating for me as a blogger. In many cases I am excluded from the private deal as people are afraid I'll post a sensitive deal on the blog. If asked not to, I won't and have many to verify that has been my policy. In fact, I just did another post on the "Problem with FT" last week. "Mr Two Post" contibuted to killing the double dip on the Delta transfer.

The hobby may have reached the critical mass where no deal is sacred unless it is kept off the public forums.

A lot of us are concerned about finding the happy medium between sharing deals with others in the community and ensuring that they don't get pulled too quickly.

I think we all know that most of the good deals on FT have now gone "underground" to off-site discussions of one sort or another. In the spirit of MiPo, we might want to try to keep these discussions as part of the community.

What if we created the ability to have an expanding chat function where for a given deal a member can share with other close friends who can then invite others into the chat thread and they can then share with yet others. The discussion would continue within this shared thread which would be accessible and viewable only to people invited in on that deal.

This could have two benefits:

It would allow us to share deals here on MiPo "in community" rather than taking them offline and accomplish the goal of sharing the knowledge.

If each person was only inviting other who they knew personally, and the very existence of the deal chat for that deal was not shown for non-invited folks, it would reduce the likelihood that airline folks would quickly stumble onto it.

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While initially I thought this was an interesting idea, the more I think about it, the more I think it's just another way of creating a restricted forum but taken to the next level where, unless you are in the 'In' crowd, you're not likely to be invited. At least with a formally created restricted forum, everyone stands a chance of seeing the information and newbies stand a chance of attaining status to gain access.

I am not on one of those coveted mailing lists (like so many others). I am not a prolific poster in the MR threads because I don't have anything of substance to add and I choose not to add 'fluff' to confuse or derail the threads (or simply add to my post count). This means I am not on the radar of those who develop those PM lists and I'm sure I have missed out on many wonderful fares. A few years ago, as a newbie, I found a $500 fare SFO-HKG but instead of posting it myself, I let one of the old timers post it - I was afraid of being flamed that it wasn't worthy.

In any case, this idea appears to be the same as using PM lists in another format.

One of the differences here is that you must log on to see the forums.
Then there are private forums that require you to reach a status level to access that forum. Such as the "silver status" forum.
Those things alone will decrease the "surfing" for deals only without even needing to log on.

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For me it seems to be a good idea to have a kind of "private forum" were not all can log in!
Many User on other boards just sigh in, "grab" the deals, re-post it in other forums or maybe also do some "business" with selling the informations to others....

So maybe just someone who supports the community shall also get something back from the community?
Same chance for all: Give informations and you will also get some...

Even when i will maybe not reach the needed level (for example silver) it seems to me quite fair to handle it like this!

But there is for example some guy in Germany who collect all tips from other forums about miles&points, special fares, were you can get something for free or cheap and than offer it for a "newsletter" every month -> when you pay 44,90 Euro for a year!

And the "Supertrick" with Star Alliance Gold (A3) you can have for just 9,90 extra!

Its no problem for me when people who dont want to investigate this for themselfe because they are to busy, want to pay money for such informations but why you think that many specials are just for very short time online.....

But there is for example some guy in Germany who collect all tips from other forums about miles&points, special fares, were you can get something for free or cheap and than offer it for a "newsletter" every month -> when you pay 44,90 Euro for a year!
And the "Supertrick" with Star Alliance Gold (A3) you can have for just 9,90 extra!

Its no problem for me when people who dont want to investigate this for themselfe because they are to busy, want to pay money for such informations but why you think that many specials are just for very short time online.....

Greetings Mark

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I have seen this kind of pay-for-info website, too. I don't know if the one I saw was German or American but clearly these kind of sites do exist.

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